Lots of photographers love shooting with film, but they also probably haven’t experienced the pure magic that is large format photography. And the Instant Box Camera isn’t really instant, nor is film the primary medium it uses. But it brings you the magic of analog photography into a pretty portable kit. Launched on Kickstarter, the company is looking to secure funding to make this camera a success. And if you want to bring out your inner old-school photographer, this is probably one of the coolest ways to do it.
Everyone complains about film being so expensive these days. But prices have only really gone up on 35mm and 120 a bit. Large format has always been pricier, though it has also delivered where every other small format just can’t. The Instant Box Camera primarily shoots with photographically treated paper. Here’s how they describe it:
The Instant Box Camera is a portable, light weight camera and darkroom, all in one. There is a lens in the front and a moveable sanded glass plate on the inside of the camera that acts as the focus. The Instant Box Camera is a paper camera, although you can expose negative sheet film or other light-sensitive surfaces as well. Inside the box are trays for chemicals that allow you to develop and fix the taken photograph on the spot. All the materials are easily available. You do not have to depend on any specific manufacturer. Taking images with readily available darkroom paper and chemicals is much cheaper than any other instant camera film out there.
If you’re a student at a school that doesn’t have a darkroom, this is a great option for you to try something new.
The Instant Box Camera measures 15 inches by 13 and 12. The camera itself weighs around 9 lbs and the tripod comes in at just under 4 lbs. That’s right, you also get a 40 inch tripod with this. Additionally, there’s a 110mm f4.5 M39 mount lens. For focusing, there’s a piece of sanded glass inside. The Instant Box Camera is made out of plywood, brass, and leather. It can shoot 4×6, 5×3.5 inch, and 3.5 x 2.5 inch film.
We think this is a really fantastic project because of how they’re trying to also make this very affordable at only $420. And with the price of film going up, it’s time for analog photographers to possibly consider other ways to stay analog. Of course, you could look into direct positive paper as one option. But the Instant Box Camera lets you also shoot other formats if you wish too. That’s part of the awesome thing with large format.
Personally, I hope that this really takes off and that more photographers truly start to realize that large format analog photography makes images that really aren’t very possible with digital full frame and medium format. The depth of field is impossible to get otherwise. And most importantly, it’s something that can help them stand out from lots of other photographers out there.
Head on over to Kickstarter to make a pledge if this is a project you believe in. We hope that it goes very well, and that eventually, the process becomes available for bigger formats and even smaller formats too. This just looks too fun to not want to get into.